Refreezing Nagaimo

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I know refreezing anything is unadvised and will result in a loss of quality. With that in mind, will refreezing the grated pulp of Nagaimo (Japanese mountain yam) result in a disastrous Okinomiyaki (Japanese savory pancakes)? In particular, I'm concerned the emulsifying effect of the Nagaimo being deteriorated, thus resulting in a structurally unsound Okinomiyaki.

Best Answer

There are three main processes which can cause frozen food to have lower quality than fresh food:

  • Dehydration through sublimation ("freezer burn"). Not really a problem here, since the pulp is going to be mixed with water.
  • Mechanical damage, which occurs when the water freezes, crystallizes, and expands, potentially bursting cell walls. Likewise not a problem here -- the point of the grater is to break the cell walls anyway.
  • Chemical damage, where the chemical decomposition of a substance is accelerated by the freezing or thawing process. A concern for certain enzymes, not really one for stuff that's going to be cooked.

So while I haven't tried it myself, my suspicion is that naga-imo pulp is fine to freeze. I'm making okonomiyaki myself this evening, though, so I'll freeze some pulp and get back to you. ;-)

UPDATE: The frozen/thawed naga-imo pulp was indistinguishable from the fresh pulp.

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